Be cool

Question

Be cool. Help your school.1. Does 'be cool' and 'cool' mean the same thing? 2. What does 'cool' mean here? 3. Does 'be cool' have only one meaning or have some other meanings, such as 'trying to be cool.'  Please give some examples if there are any different usages. Thanks,

YoungCalifornian · Accepted Answer

The word "cool" in this context is probably the best known term of American slang. When used in slang, "cool" is essentially an adjective describing something as very good, excellent, better than the usual, or beyond acceptable, in a very fashionable and typically youthful way. Other synonyms in American slang are "hip", "smooth", and the outdated "groovy". To issue the command, "Be cool," then simply means, 'act cool.'

In the context you've presented, I would say that whoever has issued the command want the reader to be "cool" the way I described above by helping their school. It's clearly an attempt to entice young people into wanting to help their respective schools, which is something most young people would not normally consider to be "cool."

The only other meaning of "be cool" to my knowledge is to be relaxed. Often if someone is exhibiting signs or nervousness or anxiety, a person will say "be cool" or "chill out" in an effort to calm them down. The recent movie 'Be Cool' plays on both the meanings.

Julielai · Answer

Just to add:

Cool rhymes with school, and the rhyme is what makes the slogan catchy.

Just my 2 cents.

Meantolearn · Answer

Hi,

Thanks for the detailed reply.

definition from dictionary:

Cool - very attractive, fashionable, interesting etc in a way that people admire - used in order to show approval

One thing that Young Cal didn't mention is the use of 'cool' has a sense of getting respect/approval form others. And the meaning fits the context 'Be cool. Help your school.'

When you say that someone is trying to be cool, it is not necessary to mean they wear fashionable clothing and try to look cool. It could mean they are trying to do something cool (i.e. good) such as helping their school.

The slang 'cool' probably is universal in English. I seldom heard the use of 'hip', 'smooth', let alone 'groovy.' Is the use of 'cool', 'hip', 'smooth', 'groovy' interchangeably? Can I say, "Be hip/smooth/groovy. Help your school"?

Thanks for letting me know 'be cool' can also mean 'calm down'. I think it's related to 'cool down/off.'

YoungCalifornian · Answer

Yes, the terms 'hip' and 'smooth' are not used nearly as often as 'cool', and as I said before, 'groovy' is now considered outdated, having been popular in the 1960s and 1970s. It would not be incorrect to say "Be hip/smooth/groovy" but you wouldn't hear native speakers say that often. In this particular context I don't think you can really replace 'cool' with any of those other words because you lose the rhyme scheme.

Also, I should point out that 'cool' is a much broader slang term than 'hip' or 'smooth'. There are synonyms, but only in specific contexts. For instance, 'smooth' is generally used in refernce to a person's attitude or demeanor (especially in a romantic context) , whereas 'hip' tends to be used more in reference to clothing and taste.

Meantolearn · Answer

Thanks, Young Cal.

I'm wondering if you can give some examples to show the different uses of each word. [hip, smooth, groovy (even though it's outdated)]

YoungCalifornian · Answer

Um, okay...

SMOOTH
"He sure is smooth with the ladies!"
"Those were some smooth moves on the dancefloor."

HIP
"She's wearing a really hip outfit."
"The Shins are a band with a very hip sound."

GROOVY
"That guy's one groovy cat."
"Wanna listen to some groovy tunes, man?"

I hope that helped, but I have a feeling it didn't.

Meantolearn · Answer

Hi Young Cal,

Thanks for the cool examples. They do help.

I'm a little bit confused with the meaning of 'smooth.' Does smooth have a negative connotation? I'd like to hear your comments. Please see the definition and examples given by dictionary.

smooth - someone who is smooth is polite, confident, and relaxed, but is often not sincere

e.g.

a smooth salesmen
He was a smooth talker .
George is a smooth operator (=someone who does things in a smooth way) .

Ciao, Groovy Cat

YoungCalifornian · Answer

The definition you've presented for 'smooth', while correct, is not the same one I was operating under. Again, we're talking in terms of slang, which is why I think it's so hard to pinpoint the definition, not to mention that fact that 'smooth' has many meanings. Your 'smooth' does indeed have a negative connotation, and is almost identical to 'slick' in that context. It implies that a person is charming while manipulative.

At a loss for words, I too looked up definitions of 'smooth', and would say that when used similarly to 'cool', the word 'smooth' is a combination of these two definitions:

1. Having no obstructions or difficulties: "a smooth operation."
2. Ingratiatingly polite and agreeable.

Be cool

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